The islanders who lived near the test sites were relocated. Despite attempts to return in the 1970s and 1980s, many were never able to do so. Today, many islanders have settled in Springdale, Arkansas, where they carefully preserve their cultural traditions. Others live in small communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.
Pravda.Ru writes that, according to Ivana Nikolic Hughes, a researcher at Columbia University, parts of the Marshall Islands remain contaminated. Five islands have been completely or partially destroyed.
In an interview for CNN, Hughes noted that radioactive elements can accumulate in food through the process of bioaccumulation.
“We found high levels of cesium-137 in local products,” she emphasized. This isotope accumulates in plants that receive nutrients from the soil.
The coconut crabs that live on these islands feed on coconuts, which results in high levels of radiation in their bodies.
The radioactive substances accumulate gradually. First, a small amount of isotopes enter the soil, then more penetrate into the coconuts, and then into the coconut crabs. This creates serious problems for locals who regularly consume products grown on the islands.